Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-17
THREE RICH GIRLS.
How They Live, Move, aMd Have
Their Being-Widespread
Chm YitV

now = Mey AAvcs NAOvcs NMu 1h6
Their Betng-Widespread
Charity.
The Philadelphia correspondent Of Il
Chicago Tribune, under recent dat
writes as follows: The three daughter
of the late F. A. Drexel, the banke
who ars travelling abroad, have reache
Rome. They have received great del
of social attention there from the oil
Roman nobility and from the Englis
and American residents. They wer
presented in private audience to Pop
Leo XIII, and write glowingly of th
grace and dignity of his holiness, VIII
had already been informed of their mu
ni6cient charities, and of those of thei
dead father.
The girls, as trio of unmarried sis
ters, are the richest In the United
States. Their late father left SIS, 900,
600. A million and half went directl,
to Roman Catholic charities. The re
inainder. with the exception of numbe
of comparatively small specific legaoies
were given to the girls for life. In th'
event Of the marriage of any one or al
OF them the fortune will be divides
finally among the children. If any ON,
should not marry or, marrying, haveInt
children, her share would be divided
among the offsprings of the other OF
others. In case that all remained single
or, in the event of marriage should have
no children, the whole vast estate will
be divided among the charities to which
the million and a half Of dollars have
already been given.
The fortunes of the girls, with the &C.
cumulations since the death of their
father, amounts to very mnch more than
"a, 900, 900 each. They really have so
much money that it overwhelms them.
They can't spend it, and they have not
been able to contrive to give it away
fast enough.
Their tour abroad is carried out with q
simplicity that contrasts strikingly with
the daily life of good many of our
country women abroad. There retinue
of servants consists of just two persons,
and they religiously avoid everything
that would be likely to bring them into
notice. They live with the same sort of
simplicity at home. They have hand
some but uuostentatious house in the
fashionable quarter in the west end.
They prefer the country, however, and
spend nine months in the year at their
splendid place. about fifteen miles
from town. On their acres they take
position that has an air of fcVdalism
about it. They are the good ladies of
the region. They do not 60 in for
fashion at oil, SO they entertain very lit
tie company even at their country place.
They are immensely fond Of outdoor
recreations, however, and of horses and
dogs. They have a stable of fine trot.
ters and PAGERS, and there must be at
least fifty varieties represented in the
small army of dogs that wander over
their place. They are skillful horsewo.
men, aud one meets them frequently
cantering along the roads round their
home. A run of ten miles is common
indulgence to them. and they have rid
den eighteen miles without being alto.
gether worn out. They are well-trained
business women, too, and thoroughly
versed in all the mysteries of book
keeping. They themselves keep the
ordinary accounts incidental to the ad
m inistration of their great fortune.
But it is their charities that distinguish
them most.
They do not expend for themselves
1.-THE Of the amount they give away.
Their charities are broad, continuous.
many and generous. They have a long
List Of regular pensioners, some of whom
were also the pensioners of their dead
father. Their gifts to eleemosynary in.
situations amount to o fortune every
year. Near their house is handsome
little chapel. They support that, too.
But being of . deeply religious turn of
mind they doubtless get their moneys
worth out of that for they attend early
service there daily, week days as well as
Sundays. A considerable part OF the
Sunday afternoon they put in teaching
Sunday school cl ISIS made up from the
poorer children round their home. The
class meets in their house, and beside
spiritual instruction it Individually and
collec lively receives good deal of ma
terial support.
Their latest and most extensive chari-
table undertaking is the building of an
industrial home for boys, some three
miles from their country place. The in.
mates, besides the ordinary secular
teaching, will receive instruction in the
agricultural and manual a,ts, and in the
keeping of accounts. The school is in.
tended to rival in scope and usefulness
Iirard college in this city. The build
ings are now under way, and will be
ready for occupancy before many
months. About $3.50. 900 have been laid
oat already. and when.the institution is
open and running the three little maids
are to pay all the current expenses out
OF their private purse. During their
Journey abroad they have visited
all the principal retreats and
educational institutions for the
young, and they write that they
have acquired goud deal of knowledge
that may be applied with profit to the
institution now building. They have
taken good care, too, that no one. de.
pendent in any degree upon them, shall
suffer by their absence in Europe. By
their special direction all their charities
are carried out for them by woman
delegated for that purpose.
As the richest girls in the world they
~gNt do we'll as models, will they not?
TIE Quaker city is proud of them, and
do you wonder?
It was said that they intended to be-
come nuns and end their days in clois-
ter. But / may say by authority that
there is no ground for the rumor.
They may marry yet.
Startling but Truc.
knr